Therapeutic apparatus



May 9, 1950 R. B. WIPRUD THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1948 FIG.

FIC-3.3

INVENTOR. ROY B. WIPRUD BY www@ FIG.2

Patented May 9, 1950 U NIZTED S E @2F EiliCgEi THERAPEUTIC APPARATS Roy B.-Wipr.ud,' Duluth, Minn.

Application August 4, 1948,v` Serial N. 42,430`- (Cl. .-2I939;) 1

Thisv invention relates `to therapeuti'cal apparatus of thel kindiadapted `for administration-'oi gases fsuch"` as oxygen andtheflike; particularly to the treatment by dentists Nor' the gums:

It"isl2often .desirable to introduce oxygen by the dentist in the treatment of the gums. Oxygen is normally stored-undernhigh pressure and at normal temperatures. When the oxygen is to be used; it is- Withdrawn lfrom the high pressure source and reduced in pressure so as to enable proper administration .by thedentist'.:r In the reduction of the pressure thetemperatureorthe. oxygenislowered to a point'thatfit is generally' uncomfortable for the patient. Itis an object of this-invention to correct this situation sorth'atia proper administration of 'oxygento `the gums f can be carried out at a temperature which is comfort'- able to the patient.

A further object of thev invention is to provide a'1 novel, ,compact apparatus; ot, simple andeconomical construction which may be easily transported and used in the administration of gases and liquids.

A selected embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the apparatus; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the bottom cover plate and one type of heater. This device shown in the drawings may be usedv for several purposes as for heating a liquid or a gas but is generally designed for the heating of oxygen primai-ily used by dentists in the therapeutical application of oxygen to the patient. The gas is stored in a suitable high pressure storage vessel and is fed to the apparatus through tube or conduit 20. Generally located between the high pressure source and the tube 2S is a pressure reducing valve in which the pressure of the oxygen is lowered and as the pressure of the oxygen is lowered the temperature also is lowered. The oxygen as it passes through the tube 20 is heated to about body temperature and this will result in an application which is comfortable to the patient. ID is a metal block having high heat conducting characteristics and it may be cast in the form of a hollow block with a central opening I2 or it may be cast in various shapes such as cylindrical, it being understood that the shape of the i vand. imbedded in the metal block. The tube should be metal having high heat conducting characteristic. Copper tublngffV would be*V satisfactoryrinithis-=:connection. Due to ithe arrangenient;Y thefi orryg'en'A being. discharged? through the conduit 24is.offsubstantial.constanttempera@v ture andezoffa..temperaturefzwhichi is comiorta'bie. tothefipatientfibeingartreated; The vopening :I 2. isf closediattop andbottomiby plate members lI dfandz lirespiectively; Thesefrtops:are'isecuredto the?. metal bloclc byanyfisui-table means v'such asfscrew:A I Brr Secured? tot thea'bbttomficover t' [Bris .rheatingif elementrwhichreceives ltsrcurrentfrom'afsuit.- able-.source -:(not shown) by; waysoffconductors #211' which runfriirectlyto the heater andithenceto a.- thermostat 3l) and then back to the source-t0 conductor-r 28.-, Conductors 2l.; andu 28 extend through: -the metal.- 4member I 0i through suitable openingsewhichisfse arrangeclthatthe heat from the1 block? 'issnot dissipated? Itfiisv to bewundere stood. thatranyA suitable .typeA otfheaterl-,may be.

employedeand for thefpurposef-of illustration'if.- a1

heater is shown in Figure 3 which consists of insulating member 34, resistance units 36 and the heating unit is supported in a suitable member carried by the plate bottom I8 and is secured thereto by suitable means such as screws 32.

In operation, the conductors 21 and 28 are connected to a suitable source of electrical energy and the thermostat 30 allows current to flow to the heating element 26 to raise the temperature of the metal mass and thereby raise the temperature of the oxygen. When the metal mass I0 is brought to the desired temperature the contacts of the thermostat 30 will open and stop the now of current to the heater. The gas being heated enters through the tubing 20 and flows through the tubing imbedded in the metal mass. The metal mass having high heat conducting characteristics will instantly transmit heat to the tube and consequently raise the temperature of the oxygen. When the heat is transmitted to the gas the temperature of the metal mass will be lowered which will cause the thermostat 30 to close the electrical contact and thus the heating element 26 restores the heat to the metal mass, thus restoring .heat lost to the gas. There is a time interval between the introduction of the gas at 20 and the response of the thermostat 30 and the heating unit 26. This requires the metal mass I0 to be large enough so that the heat removed by the gas will not lower the temperature of the metal mass beyond deiinite allowable limits before the electrical heating units starts to restore the heat. It is important that the heating unit should be suicient capacity to restore the heat to the metal mass faster than the gas can remove the heat therefrom.

The thermostat is so arranged that it is responsive to the change of temperature at the metal mass. It is to be undersood that the arrangement of the heater 26 as shown in Figure 1 is important as it produces the most efficient operation of the apparatus.

The invention broadly consists of four principal elements: a metal block to store and conduct heat; a tube or pipe in which the gas is contained and heated; a heating element; and a thermostat. The metal block can be cast in any form and in fact can be cast Without central opening. The gas carrying tube can be any shape as long as it is cast integral with the metal block. The thermosta-t could be placed in any position on the metal block as the metal has high heat conducting properties and the temperature of the entire mass will be approximately the same temperature.

What is claimed is:

Y 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a substantially rectangular metal member' having a centrally disposed opening, a metal tube having high heat conducting characteristics disposed in the metal member, a thermostat mounted in the centrally disposed opening and responsive to the change in temperature of the metal mass, top and bottom cover members, and a heating unit mounted on the bottom cover member and extending into the centrally disposed opening, said heating unit of a size to occupy only a small portion of the centrally disposed opening.

2. An apparatus of the class described consisting of a substantially rectangular metal mass having a centrally disposed opening therein, said metal mass having high heat conducting characteristics, a tube disposed Within the metal mass, a thermostat mounted Within the centrally diswithin the metal mass, a thermostat mounted on the metal mass and responsive to changes in temperature of said mass, a cover secured to the metal mass for closing one end of the centrally disposed opening, a plate removably secured to the other end for closing the other end of the centrally disposed opening, an electrical heating means secured to the said plate and extending into the centrally disposed opening, said heating unit of a size to occupy only a small portion of the centrally disposed opening.

ROY B. WIPRUD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,162,537 Yager Nov. 30, 1915 2,048,104 Clinefelter July 21, 1936 2,145,287 Beyrodt 1 Jan. 31, 1939 2,247,816 McIlrath July 1, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 364,664 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1932 

